Feature
Preview
come and
join the fun The hugely popular Toymaster May show returns this month after being forced to sit out its 2020 and 2021 iterations by the Covid-19 pandemic. Once again taking place at its usual haunt, the Double Tree by Hilton Majestic Hotel in Harrogate, the three-day show runs from Tuesday 17th May to Thursday 19th May and will play host to a raft of big names within the industry – including a number so far absent from other 2022 trade shows. Rachael Simpson-Jones provides all the information readers need about the event and speaks to the Toymaster team about how the buying group is evolving this year.
T
he Toymaster May show is a special one, I’m sure a huge number of readers would agree, and it occupies a special place in the hearts of retailers and exhibitors alike. Open to all independent retailers, whether or not they are members of the Toymaster buying group, the unique three-day trade event offers visitors unfettered access to the biggest and best toy and game companies in the business: the group has around 160 suppliers in total, though naturally they won’t all be present at the show. Among the 108 that will be, almost 30 of which weren’t present in 2019, are several major suppliers that so far haven’t appeared at other major trade shows, either through choice or because of cancellations: Lego for one, as well as Hasbro Mattel and Playmobil. If you’ve attended the show before, you’ll be aware of its relaxed atmosphere, its comfortable surroundings, free lunches and evening entertainment (tip: keep a weather eye out for Paul Reader and his camera as each evening progresses). Tuesday night is party night – there’s no dress-up theme this year, unless you’re really keen to do so in which case, fill your boots – while Wednesday night is awards night. This year sees the welcome return of the Supplier of the Year Award
and Friends of Toby Award, and there will also be a number of 25th anniversaries to celebrate, according to the Toymaster team. Harrogate is also a lovely place to visit; many attendees arrive in the area early to pay a visit to one of the many local cafes and restaurants before the show kicks off. But much of what makes the show special boils down to what makes Toymaster itself special - the people that run it, and the retailers that are proud to be members. Toy World has long enjoyed a great relationship with the Toymaster team and regular readers will have seen a number of articles we’ve run over the years detailing what the group does, and what membership offers. However, our most recent meeting with MD Yogi Parmar, marketing director Paul Reader and business development manager Brian McLaughlin made it clear there’s still a number of retailers out there who perhaps don’t fully appreciate all the perks of membership – and don’t yet know they’re missing out on being part of a community like no other. So, let’s have a quick recap, and then we’ll find out about all the changes Toymaster is introducing for the months ahead.
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Toymaster is the largest buying group for independent toy retailers in the UK & Ireland, operating as a ‘mutuality’: the group is wholly owned by the members, who are all shareholders in Toymaster. As a not-for-profit, Toymaster gives back to its members, with the most recent sum making its way back into the pockets of Toymaster retailers in April. The group’s mission statement is a simple one - ‘To Help Our Members Trade More Profitably’ – but what takes place behind the scenes to ensure this is upheld requires more than a little hard work and dedication. Luckily, the Toymaster team is both dedicated and hardworking. With the exception of two ‘recent’ starters, everyone on the team has been at Toymaster at least a decade (four of them for 30 years), and the group has earned itself a reputation for being both exceptionally friendly and committed to offering the very best support to its members. Retailers who choose to join the group are free to either brand themselves as Toymaster stores or retain their current branding. And whichever option they go for, they also retain complete independence. This is an important point to note; Brian says that despite years of messaging highlighting this point, some retailers
